Why use Story-Telling?
Whether trying to promote a cause, engage board members and volunteers or generate donations from new and recurring supporters, organizations are always in need of compelling copy that connects with readers, helping individuals make decisions to support an organization. A picture is worth a thousand words — which sounds great, unless those thousand words are lackluster.
Our project together can help you increase awareness about your cause, recruit volunteers, boost fundraising efforts and attract and retain large donors. Real stories about the people you impact need to be captured in writing. I’ll help you discover these emotional appeals and position the writing in a way to speak directly to the audience that makes up your loyal donor pool.
My Services
Your decision to hire a professional writer creates a high level of quality in your project you can’t get otherwise. While I work with each nonprofit client uniquely, the below are some of my common projects
- Case for Support
- Grant Research
- Grant Writing
- Appeal Letters
- Feature Story-Telling Packages:
My Process
I am a trained journalist with more than a decade of experience as a professional writer. Building off my experiences in the news industry, capturing interviews and re-telling details in impactful ways, I create content that propels nonprofits’ connections with donors and users.
My process starts with a session with you to understand the goals of the content. Then, I brainstorm relevant content ideas and together we identify a list of individuals that would fit for me to interview. Then, you get back to work creating change through your nonprofit while I run off and start capturing stories.
I’ll interview individuals in-person, via phone or e-mail (especially those overseas!). I record notes from each conversation, and these are available to nonprofits to uncover valuable quotes and testimonials or useful tidbits of info.
Then, I write! We edit. I finalize. You publish & distribute.
When it comes to grants, I typically like to start with a Case for Support or story-telling project in order to understand your organization and the programs that need funding. Then, I can dive into research and create a grants plan. That said, I also work on specific grants or can jump in if you’ve already found the grant but just need a writer.
What My Client’s Say
Lyssa has been instrumental in helping our foundation reach the next level with area partners. We have been blessed to work with Lyssa for many reasons. She is a fantastically creative person and she ‘just gets’ what we needed as an organization! For us, Snowdrop Foundation WI, it has been the perfect partnership.
— Laura Gruender, Snowdrop Foundation WI
Work Samples
Click on the logos of some of my recent clients below to read the Case for Support I created from our projects together.
